The Stranglers Are Again Cover Stars Of The Latest Issue Of Vive Le Rock

In true Stranglers' fashion the band have come through one of their worst periods of their long career (and things don't get much worse than losing a founder member of the band to COVID-19) with their heads held high and their reputation as one of Britain's finest and most enduring bands intact. 'Dark Matters' topped the magazine's Festive 50 as the best album of 2021. If I believed in the afterlife it would be nice to think that Dave Greenfield would raise a glass of whatever's on the optics up there to acknowledge a job well done!

Basil Brush - I’m Gonna Dream This Christmas (That It’s 1979!)

 

Best Christmas song for 30 years!! Basil Brush knows... don't argue! I love that creature. Boom! Boom!

RIP Thomas Mensforth (Mensi) of The Angelic Upstarts

 

Very saddened tonight to hear that Mensi of The Upstarts has succumbed to COVID. How terribly sad for a devoted father of a young family. 

The first time that I met Mensi would have been a brief encounter when we demonstrated against the annual march by the National Front just on Remembrance Sunday, just an hour or two after the real deal,to lay wreaths at the Cenotaph in Whitehall to commemorate those that that fell in the struggle against nazism and fascism.... all the while holding aloft swastikas..... I mean, I ask you!?

Before the early afternoon ended with an adrenaline filled game of cat and mouse with officers of the Metropolitan Police, I walked past Mensi in the crowd,. I said 'Hi Mensi', to which he replied 'Awreet son' without his steely gaze ever deviating from the street corner from which we knew that the NF column would first appear. Total commitment.

I first saw the Upstarts live at about the same time, 1988, Marquee, supported by Blaggers ITA and Atilla. As I remember Max Splodge was carried off his drum stool and the stage in a comatose condition. Mensi was in his element with the crowd, would not leave the stage until the management pulled the plug on him. 

On another occasion I saw The Upstarts at the Garage in Islington I think and someone passed Mensi in a Skewdriver shirt. Bad mistake, the young nazi acolyte ended up shirtless.

Sleep well big man, you were an inspiration.

Vive Le Rock Awards 27th March 2019

 

As part of this disastrous renovation that we have embarked upon I have been trying to consolidate my bootleg recordings as I am a bit disorganised in that respect. In doing so I stumbled across this gem which I had forgotten that I even had. Apologies to the kind soul that sent it to me as I can't remember the source.

It's a great little recording of a short set that was culmination of for me and Gunta a highly emotionally charged night. There were the highs, a chance to see The Rich Kids for the first and probably only time, and clearly The Stranglers playing after receiving the best band of 2019 award and the lows... we lost Pete Shelley the previous December (Pauline Murray paid great tribute to him) and just a week or so previously The Beat's Ranking Roger succumbed to cancer. Regular visitors to this site will be aware that I hold 2 Tone very dear and The Beat were a very important band for me.

WAV: https://we.tl/t-WWBIMzD0Le

Sleeve: https://we.tl/t-Y12aj3LdP4

01. Intro and Award Presentation
02. 5 Minutes
03. Tank
04. Unbroken
05. This Song
06. (Get A) Grip (On Yourself)
07. No More Heroes

Dave at the Vive Le Rock Awards

O2 Academy Islington

27th March 2019

Born Toulouse

 As I write this I should be at the front of The Stranglers at the Bikini club in Toulouse. To hell with it, as one of the first few gigs that I could have attended in the last 18 months and more I may even have worn a bikini to mark the significance of the occasion!!

However, it wasn't to be thanks to that little spiky bastard ball in its new omicron guise. The costs of the required PCR testing instantly doubled the cost of the trip which coupled with issues spiraling out of control at home on an extensive home renovation resulted in me bailing out of a long anticipated trip to France.

I do however have a recording of one of the gigs already with more to come. But as ever, these will not be posted until the French leg of the tour is done and dusted.

Back in the game.

Whatever happened to... all the sessions?

 Here's one to ponder. With new product to promote, why have there been no radio sessions? Clearly the 1970's feuding with BBC over past misdemeanors is a distant aspect of the band's history. JJ in particular has been interviewed on numerous occasions which is great, but it is all talk and no music.

The Damned on the other hand have been well catered for by BBC 6 Music with a session to promote the 'Evil Spirits' album and a Christmas gig no less.

You've got to love a radio session as it is by no means unusual for a session track to be superior to the version that the band spent weeks creating in a plush studio.

I may write to 'Points of View'!

Brixton Academy 24th February 1990

 

In the process of consolidating my CD collection I checked the status of this one on the Aural Sculptors site and noted that it had only previously been shared in MP3 format. So here then is the lossless version complete with slimline revamped artwork. 

The date was rescheduled from an earlier planned date in late 1989. As I recall this was down to delays with finishing of the '10' album. I think that it was this date that went ahead in preference to an anti-poll tax meeting at Brixton Town Hall. I guess the Metropolitan Police were wary of the fact that there was a potential ready made, 4,000 strong mob in the immediate vicinity that could be problematic in the event that the meeting became ugly. As I recall Hugh made reference to this fact from the stage on the night.

FLAC: https://we.tl/t-7nT9dfb7My

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-lEIDhFrJ7l

01. Shah Shah A Go Go

02. I Feel Like A Wog

03. Straighten Out

04. Shakin’ Like A Leaf

05. 96 Tears

06. Someone Like You

07. Sweet Smell Of Success

08. Always The Sun

09. Ships That Pass In The Night

10. Peaches

11. Where I Live

12. School Mam

13. Let’s Celebrate

14. Tank

01. Uptown

02. Was It You?

03. Down In The Sewer

04. Golden Brown

05. Walk On By

06. Strange Little Girl

07. All Day & All Of The Night

08. (Get A) Grip (On Yourself)

09. Nuclear Device

10. The Raven

11. Duchess

12. Punch & Judy